More oxygen = less co2?

[basketballqt]

I was just wondering if I could get a clarification.. I have another thread going on here basically trying to figure out why i have so many nitrates... I was doing some research on it trying to figure out why all my plants werent using the nitrates up.

I found a page that says more oxygen in the aquarium makes the co2 diluted. If this is true, then i think my plants might not be using up as much nitrates because they need more co2, which means I should turn off my bubble wands!

 

[mfdrookie516]

Not exactly. The air has about 7ppm co2. If you're not injecting co2, running a bubbler may actually increase co2 in your tank, if you do not have adequate surface agitation.

 

[dollabill420]

Would that DIY co2 maker with yeast and sugar work in a case like this rookie? (sry to hijack it's kinda a question and a suggestion at once lol)

 

[jsoong]

CO2 and O2 are NOT dependent on each other in terms of solubility. So, no, having more O2 won't drive down your CO2 or vise versa.

Plants don't just use nitrates, they also need all sorts of nutrients, in addition to light & CO2. The lack of any (light is the most common limiting factor) will inhibit plant growth & nitrate uptake.

It is all a matter of balance. If you want plants to take up nitrates, you also need to have an appropriate amount of P & K (and trace elements), in addition to good light & enough CO2. Adding just one (like only CO2 as suggested) prob. won't do the trick.